Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash – Episode 04 Review

Grimgar reaches the fourth episode at last. It was a considerably heavy story. Because the quality of the animation is very high, you might want to come back to this review after having watched the entire show.

That reminds me of something. MANGA TOKYO purchased the comic version of Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash(Hai to Gensou no Grimgar), I might be able to do the book review in near future. Look forward to more details later.

OK then, let’s go through the fourth episode together.

Episode 4: Sky Dancing with Ash

Even just one goblin used to be more than a handful. Now, Haruhiro and the team can take on up to three of them at once. Because savings increased, each member gets new equipment and skill. Everyone shares roles during the goblin battle and becomes better at collaborating. The standard of living improved, too, while the member relationships are smooth. It looks like everything is looking favorable to the party of Haruhiro.

Review (there is spoiling)

Review

Fourth episode, at last. As prompted by Yume in the previous episode, Shihoru puts together all the courage she can find, to get back to the original relationship, after all.

Thanks to Manato’s help, she finally gets to talk again.

“Fight! Go all out!” After the group-shout together; the members set off to the goblin conquest.

The team used to gang up on a goblin that is alone or separated from the rest. Now, though, Haruhiro’s party members have acquired new skills from their guilds, plus, physically and mentally improved. Now, they collaborate as a group, so they can take on multiple goblins at a time.

Yume seems to temporarily give up on the bow and arrow, with which she never hits anything. Instead, she picks up some dagger skills.

Shihoru learns the new magic of the dark shadow.

Moguzo introduces his new “Thanks! Slash” in this episode.

After the battle is over, everybody enjoys chatting with each other, and Manato counts every member’s strength and says they are making a really good team.

Manato actually skips commenting on Haruhiro’s strength. Haruhiro notices but doesn’t care much at this point, thinking that he has all the time to catch up.

Shortly after the party starts moving along again for the afternoon conquest, a mob of goblin attempts a raid. First, one of the goblins hits Haruhiro with an arrow. Every single member of Haruhiro’s party scrambles in a sheer panic. Thanks to the map steadily crafted by Manato in advance, the party can quickly figure out an escape route. Just when they thought they had successfully fled the attack, another arrow from the goblin mob hits straight at Manato.

However, no one stops, or can’t slow down, so everybody keeps running, gasping for breath, until they finally come to a safe spot.

Because the arrow wound might have been too grave, or perhaps, he has spent too much of his power to heal Haruhiro and others, Manato collapses at the spot, and draws last breath, without being able to heal himself. Manato leaves just one comment at the end to Haruhiro.

“Sorry.”
The rest of the team can’t accept this abrupt and quick passing of their team member. They face a nasty reality. If they don’t cremate Manato, he becomes Zombie. Cremation is not free of charge.

Impression

His death came too swiftly.

The last of Manato was too quick. I, as one of the viewers, didn’t really understand what has just happened. Back in my head, I keep assuming, no way Manato is gonna gone like that, something got to happen and he’s going to survive. But. At the church when the rest of the party is told that cremation is a must, I finally learned that Manato’s death is real. I accepted the fact because there is no other way to deal with this.

Manato’s death is so surreal. Maybe that is why Haruhiro lost himself like that, as he questions and advances on the cleric. Watching him in that scene was really hard. Exchange of lives… the weight of a life hangs heavily upon the members.

Finally after the party acknowledges the Manato’s death, the animation switches up to water color drawing. That, and, Shihoru’s reaction, makes me very sad. I cried. Oh and what a great background music.

Final Comments

It was a really good show, yes? It might be rated as one of the finest episodes this season. Because I don’t come across with the anime that pulls me into the story this much.

In the next episode, how do you think Haruhiro’s team overcome the first day after suddenly lost their support?
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